I Told You to Create Cards, Not to Slay Gods. [1]

Chapter 1: Duelist World

May 30, 2023.

The playground of Fourth High School in Li City was packed with students. These were the ones giving up on the traditional college entrance exams, opting instead to take the Duelist Exam. They were lining up to draw their Soul Cards—cards that would be crucial for their future careers as Cardmasters and determine their fate in the duel exam just a week away.

In this world, being a Cardmaster was one of the most sought-after careers. Each year, the government poured vast resources into exploring the world of Soul Cards, injecting significant funding into the industry. Even a first-tier professional Cardmaster received a monthly stipend of 5,000, not to mention the prize money from various dueling tournaments.

It was a career with a promising future, one that everyone with a chance aspired to pursue.

Shen Sui stood among the crowd, waiting in line.

The events of the past week still felt surreal.

He was originally from Earth, a traveler who inexplicably found himself transported to this modern world that was similar to Earth after a simple evening walk following dinner. His body remained the same, but his age had reverted to eighteen.

All I did was go out for a walk because my niece deleted my max-level game save! Did I really have to end up in another world because of that?

Without an identity, homeless, and without the currency of this world, Shen Sui naturally ended up being taken to the police station by patrolling officers in the middle of the night.

And then... he suddenly had an identity?

Looking at the ID card in his hand, seeing the photo that looked exactly like him, Shen Sui would have almost believed he was this student who attempted suicide by jumping into a river due to poor performance in the Cardmaster theory exam—if not for his clear, coherent, and vivid memories of Earth.

"Shen Sui, don't worry. Even if your theory scores were poor, you can still get into Tianyi Academy in Magic City if you defeat the instructor in the duel exam!" A beautiful young woman in a white dress ran over, handing Shen Sui a bottle of cola with a smile.

Her name was Lin Ke'er, Shen Sui's homeroom teacher in his third year of high school. She was the one who received the police notice and brought Shen Sui back to school.

"Thank you, Miss Lin, but I don't really like this," Shen Sui declined politely.

"Huh? Didn't you used to love drinking cola?"

"But this one's sugar-free. There's nothing 'fun' about it," Shen Sui retorted disdainfully. "You might as well get me a Pepsi."

"Alright, alright," Lin Ke'er responded, not offended in the least. Seeing the vitality returning to her student's eyes made her happy.

Shen Sui was a unique presence in her class—an orphan, quiet and reserved, yet fiercely proud.

When Lin Ke'er learned that Shen Sui had failed the theory exam, she was worried he might do something reckless. She hadn't expected things to unfold so quickly. Seeing him “resurrected” and standing before her, she became even more cautious around him.

"I know I've told you this many times, but I need to stress it once more." Lin Ke'er began talking about the importance of drawing a Soul Card. "The Soul Card is the most crucial tool for a Cardmaster. The followers summoned by the Soul Card are your only link to that other world. If your follower dies there, you will lose the ability to acquire new cards forever."

"There are a total of thirty-three Soul Card worlds, thirteen of which are peaceful. In these worlds, followers are unlikely to die from things like attacks or wars. I know you prefer fantasy worlds, but trust me—those places are extremely dangerous. Your follower might meet a sudden and tragic end. Especially that world called the Continent of Dawn!"

Lin Ke'er cast a worried glance at Shen Sui. Over the past week, he had repeatedly asked her about the Continent of Dawn.

Among the thirty-three Soul Card worlds, the Continent of Dawn was one of the most powerful, but also the most dangerous. In that world, wars between gods had raged for nearly a thousand years, and the brutal suppression of heretics meant everyone on the continent faced the threat of death from birth.

"I get it. You want a powerful Soul Card to defeat the instructor in the duel exam, but you don't have to gamble your future! Everyone gets only one chance to draw a Soul Card in their lifetime. If your follower dies, you lose the qualification to be a Cardmaster. If they die quickly, you could retake the traditional college exam next year. But what if they die after a few years? Would you have the courage to compete with kids five or six years younger than you in an entrance exam?"

"Shen Sui, I’m your teacher. I have to be responsible for your future. You have seven days to train your Soul Card follower. There’s no need to take such a huge risk by choosing a follower from a dangerous world."

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Lin, but I've made up my mind." Shen Sui gave her a radiant smile. "I'm an adult now, and I don’t have any family. I can take responsibility for my choices."

"Number 88!"

"Present!" Shen Sui raised his hand.

"Well, I’m off, Miss Lin." Shen Sui gave her a polite bow. "Thanks for the cola."

He quickly made his way to a temporary classroom set up inside a tent. The room was lined with posters, thirty-three in total, each introducing one of the Soul Card worlds.

There were worlds with mechs and warships, modern cities filled with superpowers, fantastical realms with martial arts and sword immortals, and magical lands where wizards and sorcery reigned.

Some were peaceful; others were chaotic. They formed a vibrant tapestry of possibilities in the Soul Card dueling scene.

Shen Sui’s gaze stopped on the poster for the Continent of Dawn.

A world filled with fantasy elements, where mysterious and powerful forces make danger ever-present.

In Year 922 of the Silver Moon Calendar, the Twilight Archbishop Eldrin Modena, who had suppressed all the gods of the world, mysteriously vanished. In hidden corners, followers of the deities once again raised their banners.

In Year 923, the Twilight Saintess Vivian was burned alive by the populace in Modena City.

In Year 950, the Goddess of Nature awakened, heralding the return of the gods.

From Shen Sui’s perspective, it was the classic storyline of an ancient fantasy novel.

A corrupt church and an evil empire.

Humans, elves, and orcs locked in an endless struggle—scenarios he’d seen in countless fantasy novels before.

The reason Shen Sui chose this world was simple: he knew the Twilight Archbishop, Eldrin Modena.

To the inhabitants of the Continent of Dawn, he was known as Eldrin Modena. But to Shen Sui, he was more familiar by his nickname: Warden of the Evernight.

It was his in-game alias.

And as for the supposed "mysterious disappearance" of the Twilight Archbishop? There was nothing mysterious about it—his save file had been deleted by his niece.

Yes, the Continent of Dawn was none other than the game world of Dawn's Link, the bizarre patchwork fantasy RPG Shen Sui had played in his previous life.

And the so-called Soul Card duels in this world were, in reality, a card game mini-game embedded within Dawn's Link. As a player who had beaten the game twice, Shen Sui instantly sensed something was off when he saw the rules for Soul Card dueling—rules that clearly resembled those from games like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Shadowverse. His suspicions were confirmed when he stumbled upon familiar references to the Continent of Dawn.

Given that his game character had become part of the continent's history, there was a good chance that the storage chests he’d left scattered throughout the continent were still there.

Although most of the chests contained mundane items—gathering materials, ores, and fish caught from random water bodies—some had items and skill books he’d stored when his inventory was full.

In the game, storage chests were indestructible and could only be opened with the owner’s permission.

If they still existed on the Continent of Dawn, Shen Sui was confident he could turn his Soul Card follower into a top-tier fighter in a short time.

Right now, he was penniless and had already returned all his high school knowledge to his teachers. If he failed the duel exam, he wouldn’t have the qualifications for the college entrance exams. Without that, he’d be left homeless, struggling until he earned enough to survive through menial labor. Thus, choosing the right, familiar world was critical.

“Please choose the world from which you want to draw your Soul Card,” the guide asked him.

“The Continent of Dawn!”

Shen Sui’s voice was firm and unwavering.

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T/N: I made a few name changes!

The original username for Shen Sui was 'White Dragon Inside Warmth' which I found really... weird? Maybe it's a guy thing but I changed it to 'Warden of the Evernight' which sounds mysterious and powerful, playing into his role as someone who watches over pivotal moments.

Another thing I changed was the name 'Claude Modena' I have no excuse for this one... I just changed it because I found Claude lackluster so I changed it to 'Eldrin Modena' – This has a mystical ring, combining “Eld,” meaning old or wise, with a smooth sound that feels magical.

I hope you don't mind these changes!